Plato’s Republic is a Socratic dialogue on justice, how the perfect city-state should be ordered, and how the virtuous man should behave. In “Book X”, Glaucon and Socrates explore the nature of poetry. They argue that Poetry must be excluded from a well-ordered state, as it is an imitative art form, thrice removed from the truth and valuing emotion above reason, thus it has no utility. There are three creators: the user, the human maker and the imitator. Artists are imitators, making their art far removed from the truth and illegitimate. Art inflames the passions and emotions rather than the rational part of the soul.

Three creations and creators exist for Plato. There is one idea, but many objects will fall under it. For example, there are many beds in the world, but only one idea of a bed. Carpenters will follow the idea in their craft, but it is impossible for them to create the idea of a bed. The idea of the bed, along with other objects, is the brainchild of the universal creator, an extraordinary being. In a way, everyone can create by reflecting objects in a mirror. But this is merely an appearance, and the artist’s job is to make appearances. He can paint a bed, but not the real one. Three beds exist: one is the ideal form, created by God, the other an object made by the maker, and the third a reflection imitated by the painter. God created the ideal bed, but only one; for if he had made two, a third would still appear behind them and that would be the ideal bed. Painting only imitates an appearance of reality which is far away from the truth, and thus the imitator only touches on a small part of an image.

Anyone who claims to know all things, or ascribes all knowledge to the poets, does not understand the nature of knowledge. If the imitator was able to, they could create the original rather than the image. If Homer had a career for the betterment of humanity, like being a lawgiver, general or innovator, his contemporaries would have relieved him of the unreliable work of continuing as a rhapsodist, and he would have had many followers and disciples. But he did not, so he is inferior. Poets are imitators like the painters, which keeps them from the truth. They understand nothing of true existence, only appearances, and thus do not live in the real world. There are three arts: making, imitating and using. The maker knows more than the imitator, but less than the user. Utility is most important because “the excellence or beauty or truth of every structure, animate or inanimate, and of every action of man, is relative to the use for which nature or the artist has intended them” (Plato and Jowett 315). Thus, the user, who has both belief and knowledge, will instruct the maker. For example, a flute player will tell the flute maker which flute he approves of and how he should make them, and the flute-maker will follow his instructions. The maker has belief without knowledge, but the imitator lacks both. This shows that imitation is three times away from the truth. The only way to correct the disgruntled mass of appearances is objective measurement. But this is not possible in the imitative arts (Plato and Jowett 316-17).

This is because the creations of the imitative arts are illegitimate and inferior. They imitate opposites, engender weakness, are opposed to the urgings of philosophy, and retrieve troubles and lamentations. Because “the imitative poet […] is not by nature made, nor is his art intended, to please or to affect the rational principle in the soul; but he will prefer the passionate and fitful temper, which is easily imitated” (Plato and Jowett 319-20). People would restrain their emotions in real life, yet poetry causes them to sympathize with the sorrows described within and loosens their emotions. With the encouragement of the poets, this becomes a habit and makes it difficult to repress strong emotions. This is a real weakness, and in the same way comedy may make a man into a fool. But to Plato, if men are to be virtuous and happy, then these emotions must be restrained.

Socrates and Glaucon conclude that although they enjoy poetry, and would like to meet Homer, it does not attain the truth. Instead, its imitative nature keeps it three times away from the truth and it releases the passions to rule over reason, taking away its utility. Therefore, they must exclude it from their state. They are open to proof that poetry is in fact useful. But to them, poetry’s excitement, like the allure of money, honor and power, is a distraction from the primary importance that they put on virtue and justice in a well-ordered state.

Works Cited

Plato and B. Jowett. The Republic, edited by Benjamin Jowett. Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1888.